


The Argument

by MAPMonstersArePerceptions



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, Familiars, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-27
Updated: 2021-01-27
Packaged: 2021-03-13 15:46:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 570
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29031138
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MAPMonstersArePerceptions/pseuds/MAPMonstersArePerceptions
Summary: Lady Hufflepuff was everything that the history books claimed her to be… not that they claimed much about the Founder.  Her running a home for abandoned children was not terribly surprising.  Indeed, Sal completely approved and was quite willing to help.  Still, why in the world would she bring a, a THAT into the comfy manor?
Relationships: Helga Hufflepuff/Salazar Slytherin
Comments: 21
Kudos: 24
Collections: Bronze & Gold





	The Argument

**Author's Note:**

  * In response to a prompt by [Starryar (Breadmione)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Breadmione/pseuds/Starryar) in the [BronzeGold](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/BronzeGold) collection. 



> For the Bronze and Gold challenge.
> 
> Prompt: Helga Hufflepuff

Lady Hufflepuff was everything that the history books claimed her to be… not that they claimed much about the Founder. It was still a few years before Sal could reasonably contemplate reaching out to the other two about the possibility of forming a wizarding school, but he was content for now with helping Helga to run her estate and care for the dozens of children (both magical and not) whom she had been saved from being burnt at the stake. Oh, discovering that Helga ran a home for and educated children with nowhere to go before the formation of Hogwarts had been a shock for the one who used to go by Harry Potter, but it was not an altogether unpleasant one.

Salazar and Helga grew close as they worked to the benefit of Helga’s many charges. Still, disagreements were inevitable. 

The strangest of these disagreements took place in the spring a few years after he met the formidable Lady Hufflepuff.

\--$$--

A strange sound was coming from Helga’s sitting room. It sounded like an animal had gotten trapped. A strange churring noise was met intermittently with chirps and squeaks. Naturally, Sal had to investigate… 

To find the prim and proper Lady Hufflepuff with a small creature on her chest. As Salazar neared the pair, his familiar, Ssssunassssh, who was wrapped around his arm, abruptly stiffened in alarm. 

“Dare I ask why you have a young badger cub in the manor, Dearest? What if he bites one of the children?” Salazar asked sardonically.

Helga scoffed. “Please. This little guy is perfectly safe. I found him in the garden, his mother having been attacked by an eagle. I could hardly just leave him there.” Uh-oh, it seemed that Helga’s maternal instincts were kicking up. The last time that happened, he was made to sleep on the settee for a month because he accidentally made one of their newest charges cry. Salazar had a feeling that he was fighting a losing battle but had to lodge one last bid for sanity.

“Badgers eat snakes, if I remember correctly. How would we keep him and Ssssunassssh from attacking each other as he grows?”

Helga waved away his concern, “I’m sure he’ll get along great with your snake, so long as we tell them not to attack each other. After all, if Sunash can control eyes while the children are poking at her curiously, surely they can control themselves around each other.”

“Oh? And how do you propose we do that? I could, in theory, explain things to Ssssunassssh, but how would one go about training…”

Sal was interrupted by a high-pitched whine by the creature cradled in his love’s bosom. Helga immediately turned her attention to the pathetic thing, emitting the same churring sound he’d heard from the hallway. Salazar tried his best to keep his face even.

“Don’t look surprised, Lord Slytherin. Surely you’ve heard of Mustelange? It’s a very common gift within my family. Now come over so that we can introduce Balik to Sunash.”

Salazar came over, and with a quick explanation to his familiar, he allowed the two to interact.

Needless to say, Balik was an instant success with the children, and before summer took root, Ssssunassssh had become quite protective of the young badger who delighted in cuddling near his scaly friend. Thankfully, Helga kept her “I told you so”s to after the children were tucked into bed.


End file.
